Bowling Green State University Athletics
Hockey Announces Team Awards for 2016-17 Season
April 28, 2017 | Ice Hockey
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – The Bowling Green hockey program distributed team awards for the 2016-17 campaign after posting a 21-18-2 record on the year. The Falcons also went 14-13-1 in Western Collegiate Hockey Association action, and made its first appearance in a conference championship since 1988. Seven Falcons were awarded the nine team awards for success throughout the 2016-17 season.
Earning the Jack Gregory Scholar-Athlete Award was senior goaltender Tomas Sholl. A native of Hermosa Beach, Calif., Sholl holds a 3.972 cumulative grade point average and will graduate in May with a finance degree. Sholl was named a WCHA Scholar Athlete in addition to earning his third WCHA All-Academic honors. On the season, Sholl totaled 54:58 in goal for the Falcons and tallied 22 saves, while in his career, the goaltender posted a .891 save percentage and 2.93 goals against average earning two shutouts. The Jack Gregory Scholar-Athlete Award is named after the 12-year Bowling Green Athletics Director and Bowling Green Athletics Hall of Fame member. Gregory also served as the Director of Athletics in 1984, when the Falcons won its National Championship.
After tallying a team-leading 18 goals and 12 assists for 30 points, senior Kevin Dufour was awarded the Dr. Ron Zweirlein Leadership Award. The Quebec City, Quebec native was named a WCHA Scholar-Athlete, in addition to earning his third WCHA All-Academic Accolade. A forward, Dufour was a three-time WCHA Offensive Player of the Week honoree and earned the No. 4 spot on SportsCenter's Top 10 Plays of the Night with a hat trick goal against Alabama Huntsville. The Leadership Award is named after Dr. Ron Zweirlein, former Freddie Falcon and Bowling Green Director of Athletics from 1994-99.
The recipient of the 2016-17 Sam Cooper Leading Scorer Award was presented to junior forward Mitch McLain. A native of Baxter, Minn., McLain topped the Falcons by accruing 33 points by 17 goals and 16 assists. Throughout the season, McLain was named WCHA Offensive Player of the Week on three occasions, earned two WCHA Player of the Month awards and was presented with WCHA First Team accolades. Named after longtime professor and BGSU Athletics Hall of Famer Sam Cooper, who was an instrumental piece in the start of the Bowling Green hockey program, the Leading Scorer Award was the first of two awards for McLain. After over doubling the 16 points in his sophomore season to tally 33 in his junior campaign, McLain was also awarded the Bill & Helen Lloyd Most Improved Player Award. Bill Lloyd, a 1948 graduate of BGSU and his wife Helen are dedicated supporters of the Falcon Hockey program.
After averaging an astounding 2.00 points per game average through the WCHA Playoffs, senior Matt Pohlkamp was recognized with the Howard Brown Coaches Award. A native of Baxter, Minn., Pohlkamp tallied five goals and five assists for 10 points in five WCHA Playoff games. On the season, Pohlkamp posted a total of 23 points by 13 goals and 10 assists in addition to earning a team-leading five power play goals on the year, and was named WCHA Player of the Month for March. After serving as a host family for hockey players as they attended BGSU, the Coaches Award is named after Bowling Green community member Howard Brown.
With his generous donation to the Bowling Green hockey program and the BGSU Ice Arena, the Dr. Tom Wojciechowski Recognition Award was presented to Scott Slater. Named after longtime hockey physician and dedicated team doctor, the Recognition Award is presented for distinguished service to the program. Shortly after Slater's gift midway through the season, the BGSU Ice Arena was renamed to the Slater Family Ice Arena.
After serving his second season as team captain of the Falcon squad, senior Sean Walker was named to the Jim Sears Most Valuable Player Award. A native of Keswick, Ontario, Walker notched a total of 24 points through 41 games played to average .585 points per game and tallied a team-leading five power play goals as a defenseman, earning him All-WCHA Second Team accolades. Named after Jim Sears, who served as a host for hockey players as they attended BGSU, the Most Valuable Player Award is the first of two honors for Walker. The senior captain was also presented with the Jim Ruehl Best Defensive Player Award for his efforts on the blue line this season, an award named after the former director of the BGSU Ice Arena and CCHA Commissioner in 1984. Walker also earned the Jim Ruehl Best Defensive Player Award in the 2014-15 campaign.
Rounding out the team awards was freshman Alec Rauhauser, who was named Rookie of the Year. A native of Bismarck, N.D., Rauhauser led the freshman class by marking 22 points with five goals and 17 assists, in addition to going plus-10 on the ice. The defenseman also earned his first career game-winning goal on the power play in the 5-3 victory in the WCHA First Round sweep of Ferris State, and was named to the WCHA All-Rookie Team this season.
2016-17 Team Award Honorees
Jack Gregory Scholar-Athlete Award - Tomas Sholl
Dr. Ron Zweirlein Leadership Award - Kevin Dufour
Sam Cooper Leading Scorer Award - Mitch McLain
Howard Brown Coaches Award - Matt Pohlkamp
Dr. Tom Wojciechowski Recognition Award - Scott Slater
Bill & Helen Lloyd Most Improved Player Award - Mitch McLain
Jim Ruehl Best Defensive Player Award - Sean Walker
Rookie of the Year Award - Alec Rauhauser
Jim Sears Most Valuable Player Award - Sean Walker
Earning the Jack Gregory Scholar-Athlete Award was senior goaltender Tomas Sholl. A native of Hermosa Beach, Calif., Sholl holds a 3.972 cumulative grade point average and will graduate in May with a finance degree. Sholl was named a WCHA Scholar Athlete in addition to earning his third WCHA All-Academic honors. On the season, Sholl totaled 54:58 in goal for the Falcons and tallied 22 saves, while in his career, the goaltender posted a .891 save percentage and 2.93 goals against average earning two shutouts. The Jack Gregory Scholar-Athlete Award is named after the 12-year Bowling Green Athletics Director and Bowling Green Athletics Hall of Fame member. Gregory also served as the Director of Athletics in 1984, when the Falcons won its National Championship.
After tallying a team-leading 18 goals and 12 assists for 30 points, senior Kevin Dufour was awarded the Dr. Ron Zweirlein Leadership Award. The Quebec City, Quebec native was named a WCHA Scholar-Athlete, in addition to earning his third WCHA All-Academic Accolade. A forward, Dufour was a three-time WCHA Offensive Player of the Week honoree and earned the No. 4 spot on SportsCenter's Top 10 Plays of the Night with a hat trick goal against Alabama Huntsville. The Leadership Award is named after Dr. Ron Zweirlein, former Freddie Falcon and Bowling Green Director of Athletics from 1994-99.
The recipient of the 2016-17 Sam Cooper Leading Scorer Award was presented to junior forward Mitch McLain. A native of Baxter, Minn., McLain topped the Falcons by accruing 33 points by 17 goals and 16 assists. Throughout the season, McLain was named WCHA Offensive Player of the Week on three occasions, earned two WCHA Player of the Month awards and was presented with WCHA First Team accolades. Named after longtime professor and BGSU Athletics Hall of Famer Sam Cooper, who was an instrumental piece in the start of the Bowling Green hockey program, the Leading Scorer Award was the first of two awards for McLain. After over doubling the 16 points in his sophomore season to tally 33 in his junior campaign, McLain was also awarded the Bill & Helen Lloyd Most Improved Player Award. Bill Lloyd, a 1948 graduate of BGSU and his wife Helen are dedicated supporters of the Falcon Hockey program.
After averaging an astounding 2.00 points per game average through the WCHA Playoffs, senior Matt Pohlkamp was recognized with the Howard Brown Coaches Award. A native of Baxter, Minn., Pohlkamp tallied five goals and five assists for 10 points in five WCHA Playoff games. On the season, Pohlkamp posted a total of 23 points by 13 goals and 10 assists in addition to earning a team-leading five power play goals on the year, and was named WCHA Player of the Month for March. After serving as a host family for hockey players as they attended BGSU, the Coaches Award is named after Bowling Green community member Howard Brown.
With his generous donation to the Bowling Green hockey program and the BGSU Ice Arena, the Dr. Tom Wojciechowski Recognition Award was presented to Scott Slater. Named after longtime hockey physician and dedicated team doctor, the Recognition Award is presented for distinguished service to the program. Shortly after Slater's gift midway through the season, the BGSU Ice Arena was renamed to the Slater Family Ice Arena.
After serving his second season as team captain of the Falcon squad, senior Sean Walker was named to the Jim Sears Most Valuable Player Award. A native of Keswick, Ontario, Walker notched a total of 24 points through 41 games played to average .585 points per game and tallied a team-leading five power play goals as a defenseman, earning him All-WCHA Second Team accolades. Named after Jim Sears, who served as a host for hockey players as they attended BGSU, the Most Valuable Player Award is the first of two honors for Walker. The senior captain was also presented with the Jim Ruehl Best Defensive Player Award for his efforts on the blue line this season, an award named after the former director of the BGSU Ice Arena and CCHA Commissioner in 1984. Walker also earned the Jim Ruehl Best Defensive Player Award in the 2014-15 campaign.
Rounding out the team awards was freshman Alec Rauhauser, who was named Rookie of the Year. A native of Bismarck, N.D., Rauhauser led the freshman class by marking 22 points with five goals and 17 assists, in addition to going plus-10 on the ice. The defenseman also earned his first career game-winning goal on the power play in the 5-3 victory in the WCHA First Round sweep of Ferris State, and was named to the WCHA All-Rookie Team this season.
2016-17 Team Award Honorees
Jack Gregory Scholar-Athlete Award - Tomas Sholl
Dr. Ron Zweirlein Leadership Award - Kevin Dufour
Sam Cooper Leading Scorer Award - Mitch McLain
Howard Brown Coaches Award - Matt Pohlkamp
Dr. Tom Wojciechowski Recognition Award - Scott Slater
Bill & Helen Lloyd Most Improved Player Award - Mitch McLain
Jim Ruehl Best Defensive Player Award - Sean Walker
Rookie of the Year Award - Alec Rauhauser
Jim Sears Most Valuable Player Award - Sean Walker
Players Mentioned
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